


Crimson Dance

by makuramotou



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Chu-un is Koumei's right-hand man that's his name I didn't make that up, Incestuous romance, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 10:56:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4957714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makuramotou/pseuds/makuramotou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"Yes, those red eyes...burning with passion.</i><br/>  <i>Your piercing red eyes...</i></p><p>  <i>Yet, your gazes aren’t for me...”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Crimson Dance

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this some years ago in my livejournal...Somehow, I forgot the title I gave this one when I posted it there...suck at titles :P  
> This is the one brother pairing that I ship, and damn the second to the last chapter of the Kou empire arc...the one with beautiful Koumei in one panel--ahh, I wanted to say to Shinobu-sensei "Where's the bro hug?!"
> 
> I hope I didn't spoil anything there^ TToTT gomen  
> This is one beautiful pairing that I don't know why it hasn't garnered a huuuuge following...idk, they seem perfect <3
> 
> I hope you'll read to the end~

 

 

_“_ _Yes, those red eyes...burning with passion._

_Your piercing red eyes..._

_Yet, your gazes aren’t for me...”_

It’s been three days since Kou Empire’s strategist was bed-ridden with an uncertain sickness. A fever, as his loyal guard, Chu-un, said. It’s not that his master Koumei is skipping work and is using his time for leisure. Koumei is actually tied to his bed by an inconceivable disease; his long hair untied and his eyes are more droopy than usual. These matters of physical appearance doesn’t seem to bother Chu-un, but what does is that his master seldom eats and usually stares at nothingness...like a maiden in love.

His master started to act jittery since the return of Hakuei and Hakuryuu. Could it be something like when relatives visit you for the first time in forever? Not really. Koumei heartily welcomed Hakuei and was quite fine when Hakuryu arrived with his horde of grotesque creatures. His master might be sluggish, but he never fails to attend to his duties, especially that he is the second eldest of the Ren brothers.

“Chu-uuuuun...Chu-uuuun...”, Koumei called for his guard in a lazy tone.

“My lord,” Chu-un rushed inside the room, for he was guarding by the doors of his master’s room, “what is it?”

“I...I have a question.” His master asked.

“Then I will answer it with all my knowledge, my lord.”

“Do I...look like Lady Hakuei?”

The question is absurd, but nonetheless Chu-un replied,

“You’re cousins. Maybe there’s a slight chance you do.”

Koumei replied a nearly-crying frown, almost pouty; then Chu-un said,

“...in all honesty, my lord, no.”

 _Because you are beyond beautiful_ \--Chu-un wants to add. His admiration for his master is beyond that of the master-servant relationship they have, but cannot be said due to obvious reasons. He is just a guard, his lord a royal prince.

“Chu-un!”

“Gah! M-my lord--!”

Koumei tightly hugged Chu-un by the neck, the latter’s cheeks redden--more like blushing than running out of air.

...

He cannot conceive why and when exactly did his master started acting like a space case. Although he remembers a time during the small banquet they had to celebrate the return of Hakuei and Hakuryu. Of course, their big brother, Ren Kouen, was there...but unlike the previous banquets where hordes of women enveloped Kouen, there were none to be found. Only liquor, food and festivities—no women. Even their sister, Kougyouku, was surprised but found it better to have no ladies buzzing around her beloved brothers.

Kouen was at the higher seat, of course. He watched the banquet as he was drinking fine liquor.

Then Hakuei approached him.

From where Chu-un and Koumei were seated, their conversation was inaudible. Although Koumei is not much of a shut-in, he prefers to be with Chu-un than with some stranger tribesmen. They have their own table filled with gourmet food and good drinks, but Chu-un noticed that his master’s eyes were gazing far beyond...

 _[Are you looking at Lady Hakuei?]_  he wanted to ask, but halted when Koumei finally set his eyes to the bottle of liquor and tried to chug down all of its contents. He’s tolerant, but of course to an extent. When Koumei passed his limits, he began babbling to his loyal Chu-un.

“Chu-un...my loyal friend...why does life have to be...cruel?”

“Why, my lord?”

Koumei turned his head over to Hakuei and Kouen again, slightly sobbing

“My heart...my heart is playing tricks on me.”

Chu-un couldn’t understand, more like he didn’t know what to say back

“Do you love me, Chu-un?” Koumei turned to him, eyes closed

“Yes I do, my lord.” Chu-un answered in a very straightforward manner that when he realized what he just said his heart skipped a beat.

“then...” Koumei continued, he put his right hand on Chu-un’s left cheek

“...say there’s a boat sinking, with me and Lady Hakuei...who will you save first?”

_Why? Why compare yourself to Hakuei-dono?_

“My lord, of course; then the lady.”

“Aaaah...that’s reassuring! Hahahaha!” Koumei pinched Chu-un’s cheek

“Then if it’s between me and my brother and king...who will you save first?”

_Now to the King?_

“The king can save himself. I’d rather save my lord.” Chu-un said with full conviction, so as to stop Koumei from asking again.

“Aaaah!! Splendid! Right! I love you, Chu-un!!” Koumei kissed Chu-un on the cheek, startling the honest guard.

“But...” his master added, with face slumped on the table, “if it really does come to that...I want you to save my brother and king first...please...”

Chu-un noticed a tear fall down from his master’s eye

 “If it does come to that, I can save you both, my lord. You’re underestimating me.” Chu-un said, almost smirking

_I want to kiss you right now..._

“Aaah...yes, yes. You can do that!” his master said, patting him on the head.

...

It was then that Koumei acted weird.

It was after that banquet that he refused to eat meals, to come to meetings called by his brother and king, and to rise from his bed. His room wasn’t lit and all the light he had was a streak of sunlight from an open window. It’s as if he wanted to separate himself from the rest of the empire—or the rest of the world.

“M—my lord, I’m afraid I must leave.”

Chu-un didn’t not notice that Koumei had fallen asleep, still coiling on him. He wanted to preserve the moment but duty is calling and he is to meet the king in his master’s behalf. He carefully lifted Koumei’s pale arms and placed them as if he is a princess waiting for a kiss. He caressed his master’s soft freckled face and left the room.

 

“I wonder what happened to Prince Koumei...”

“It’s a shame we won’t be able to see his smile in such a time...”

Even the servants feel the absence of the prince. When Kouha noticed Koumei’s behaviour, he brought flowers. This made Koumei happy but not to the fullest as it would make him if he were in his ‘normal’ state. The youngest prince tried to bring his friends/servants to play with Koumei, but they were sent away by Chu-un because they were disturbing Koumei’s already unstable sleep.

 

“Where’s Koumei?” the almighty Kouen asked when he didn’t see any sign of his sluggish brother.

“My lord is still...bed-ridden, my king.” Chu-un answered

They proceeded with the meeting anyway; Kouen had no time to lose to postpone it for his brother, Chu-un thought. True enough, Kouen valued time as every bit of it is crucial. His lack of concern for Koumei seemed to bother Kouha as well, but he made no arguments as he knows how burdened his brother and king is.

When the meeting was over, Chu-un returned to Koumei’s room, but stopped at its threshold. He’s trying to make sense of his master’s sudden behaviour when Koumei called for him.

“What happened at the meeting? I’d like to know.” Koumei said as he sat on his bed. The open curtain of the canopy of the bed shed some moonlight over his beautiful yet sad face.

“Your brother and king was asking for you, my lord.” Chu-un said as he was preparing tea.

“Oh...Is that so?”

The two of them were silent for a while. The only sound heard is the pouring of tea. And then Koumei said

“Chu-un, do not let my brother and king enter my room at any cost.”

“But why, my lord?” Chu-un almost let go of the pot; the new piece still doesn’t give much of a clue to the puzzle.

“I do not want him to see me in such a state.” His lord said in a sad smile

 _But you’re still beautiful_...in Chu-un’s head, heart and soul. Koumei is and for all eternity be.

As Koumei had his sip of tea, he said

“Maybe I should djinn equip right now and transport myself somewhere far from my brother and king’s hands...”

“Pffft!! *cough cough” his guard spilled some of his tea...

“You are jesting, my lord...?”

“I am but not jesting, my Chu-un...I do not want to see my brother and king...”

“You cannot do that.”

Chu-un’s tone surprised Koumei, but then he broke the mood with a smile.

“You’re right...I cannot leave him alone afterall...and Kouha, and Kougyouku...and you...”

Chu-un was at a loss for words. His heart seemingly wants to burst.

_He mentioned me last...is that good or is it just for my sake?_

“My lord, please do not be unreasonable. I’ll be right outside your room if you need me.” He said without looking at his master.

“Yes...Goodnight my Chu-un.” All the same, Koumei said it while facing the moon.

 

Even before Chu-un was able to take his leave, Kouha barged in like authority searching for the culprit. When he saw Koumei, his glare turned into a smile, “Ah! Mei-Mei, have you eaten already?”

Koumei was surprised but was glad to see his younger brother...

“Kouha, it’s time to sleep.”

“Eeeh~? But I just got here!” as he pounced over to his brother’s lap.

“Prince Kouha, it’d be better if I take you now to your room.” Chu-un insisted

“Not until Mei-Mei tells me the reason why he’s holed up here. Is it a girl? Is it? Tell me!” the kid insisted with pouty attitude.

“I’d rather not tell you, Kouha.” Koumei said as he caressed his little brother’s head, making the kid sleepy.

“Liar.” Kouha said with  a low voice, “If it’s not that, then what is it?” then slightly fell asleep.

“Chu-un, please take him to his room.” Koumei ordered his guard and kissed his little brother on the forehead wishing him sweet dreams. Chu-un carried Kouha all the way to the prince’s room and heard him say “liar...” in his sleep.

 

As the third day was coming to an end, the sleeping Chu-un was awakened by loud footsteps. Those majestic footsteps that are so familiar to him stopped in front of him and he heard a familiar voice say: “Is Koumei here?”

It was the king...King Kouen has finally come to see his brother, Chu-un thought.

“My lord is inside, but he insisted that he doesn’t want to see my king.”

“What nonsense. I am his brother.”

_And you are the root of my lord’s pain._

Kouen stormed in Koumei’s room and all Chu-un could do was watch, but then Kouen closed the doors so that he could talk privately with his ‘ailing’ brother, and so that it may end once and for all.

His eyes treaded Koumei’s long hair that spread neatly all over the bed. Koumei was still asleep, but Kouen tried talking anyway.

“Koumei.”

“...”

“Koumei!”

As if his voice reached inside Koumei’s dreams, the latter hugged the former—pulling Kouen’s neck with his coiled arms.

“Say, Chu-un...” Koumei said, as he seems to have mistaken his brother for his loyal guard.

“Chu-un...”his breathing got heavy, as if he was in pain. Kouen noticed but tried to hear the rest

“What I couldn’t tell Kouha is that I so much love our brother and king...”

Kouen couldn’t fully understand until he took a glance of Koumei’s face

“I love our brother...much more than I should have.”

Koumei’s tears fell and Kouen in disbelief freed himself from Koumei’s arms. His eyes widened in shock.

“I know it’s not right, Chu-un...but I cannot lie...my eyes see that I love him, my mind tells me that I love him, my heart feels that I love him...His passionate eyes...his piercing gazes—they’re carved in me, but they’re not for me...Those gazes of my brother and king are for Lady Hakuei...”

Kouen patiently deciphered every murmur of his younger brother

“...and it hurts me that I cannot hate her, nor my brother and king...I cannot hate him, yet I cannot love him...Chu-un why is it that life is cruel?”

“Koumei,”

“...Chu-un...?”

“It is I, Kouen, your brother.”

Koumei couldn’t snap out of it, but when he heard ‘Kouen’, his eyes widened and saw in front of him the man of his sorrows; face-to-face with a distance of an inch or two.

“M..m—my brother and king?! How...Why are you here?!”

Kouen just stared at him, with brows almost meeting each other. Koumei distanced himself from the bearded man.

“I heard you’re sick.” The king said to his brother, who was still half asleep

“...I...” Koumei tried to get words out of his lips so that he can bury whatever it was that he said while he was sleeping.

“What’s this thing about not wanting to see me?” Kouen said, half angry. His words made Koumei flush almost as red as his hair. Koumei did say so, but he’s right in front of the one he didn’t want to see. He just stared somewhere to avoid Kouen’s eyes.

When Koumei couldn’t answer, Kouen sighed and changed the question.

“What is this all about, Koumei? Don’t try to lie to me; I know when you’re lying.”

This made Koumei blush even more; his ears were hot and Kouen can tell. Koumei took advantage of his metal vessel, but Kouen gently snatched the fan from him and put it away. Once again they were very close to each other, the latter kneeling down while leaning toward the former who sat still on the bed.

“It’s no use lying, so I’m not telling.” The younger brother said; he tried to hide his thoughts by making his eyes droopier than ever.

“This is not you, Koumei.” The elder brother said

Taking advantage of Koumei’s half-asleep situation, and to pull out everything at once, Kouen whispered to his younger brother’s ear:

“Just now, you said you love me.”

The half-asleep Koumei became fully awake. He tried so hard to remember, but he couldn’t retrieve what he had said in full truth during his sleep.

Just then he felt huge warm hands on his face, pulling him towards a pair of soft lips he never knew were soft, and eyes red as wild fire burning with passion. He closed his eyes in piercing ecstasy.

It was a pure kiss, but the guilt in Koumei gushed through his eyes. Kouen wiped them off with his hands.

“But, my brother and king, this is wrong...and what about Lady Hakuei?”

Kouen smiled and said

“It is your habit of creating assumptions that made yourself believe that there is something going on between Hakuei and I. Besides, she is now my sister.”

“And I am your younger brother!” Koumei said in protest; theirs is more irrational than that will be of Kouen and Hakuei, but before he can even add anything to the postulates, Kouen gave him a second kiss—a more intimate one, pushing Koumei onto the bed. Despite Koumei’s struggles, his entirety gives in.

“I couldn’t care less,” Kouen said when he finally pulled out of the long kiss, his piercing gaze now fixated on Koumei

“Afterall, I myself have been holding back for too long.”

 

 

When Chu-un have heard what he wanted to know, he left his post and walked to the garden. He thought of those days when his master would stare at him for a long time. He thought of Koumei during the banquet: his red eyes burning with passion. His piercing red eyes; yet the gazes weren’t for him. Although he understood, his feelings for Koumei just grew stronger. “Afterall, I’m the only one you can tell everything about, my lord.”

  

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are much appreciated, but, hey, if you've reached this point then thanks a lot!
> 
> Notes:  
> I used 'brother and king' for the Japanese term 'aniue', which literally means a brother with a higher status. I think 'my brother and king' was also used in some English scanlations of the manga.


End file.
